The Bat's Demon
by Jedi Ani Unduli
Summary: When Ra's al Ghul's plans to get the Batman to succeed him go awry, he discovers a Robin-sized chink in the Dark Knight's armor. Armed with that knowledge, the assassin prepares an ultimatum for the vigilante. Rescue is impossible. What will he choose?
1. Chapter 1

_I wanted to read something about Ra's using Robin to "persuade" Batman to join him. I couldn't find what I wanted, so I decided to write it. Be kind and review._

_Disclaimer: I wish I owned these characters. At the very least, I wish I could write for DC._

Ra's al Ghul was at the end of his rope. He tried to get the Dark Knight to join him. He offered his only daughter as an incentive. He even threatened Gotham for good measure. Yet the Dark Knight refused. Over and over again he had extended the offer to Batman, and over and over again the Batman had rejected it. Only a fool would dare to do such a thing. Few survived their refusal.

So what would that make the Dark Knight?

_Somehow, some way I will find a weakness in that armor and I _will_ convince the Bat that the only way to fix it would be to join me. But how?_

Ra's al Ghul passed a hand over his eyes. He needed sleep. He needed to remake the world. He also needed a plan to turn the Bat to his cause once and for all. The last one was currently the main objective, had been for several months now.

"The problem with my other plans is that they don't cover all the bases," the assassin mused. "The Detective is plainly in love with Talia, yet using her as a reward doesn't work. He wants to eradicate crime, yet refuses to rid the earth of all unfit people. Threats aren't of much use; they seem to strengthen his resolve, not drain it." He paced around his study, the pieces of the puzzle that was Bruce Wayne aka Batman sliding around, trying to find the correct fit. "There must be something I missed, something either hidden to his core or so blatantly obvious that I overlooked it. But what _is_ it?"

In desperation he looked to the TV screen in front of him. The sound was off, mainly so he could think without having his thoughts interrupted by insignificant events. At first glance, though, he saw the screen shift to an overview of Gotham City. He turned up the volume.

" – and after almost two weeks of his crime spree, the Joker was finally caught in the wee hours of the morning by none other than Gotham's own heroes Batman and Robin," a blond news reporter stated. "The chase started around 8 pm, when the Dynamic Duo came to rescue Gotham PD who were trapped inside Gotham Bank by Joker's thugs. The crazy crime clown drove all over the city, releasing traps on the two while he attempted to get away with over $4 million and the president of the bank. Around 3:38 am, the Duo caused the Joker to crash into the brick wall of the same bank." The screen flashed to show a clip of the scene that took place earlier that morning. "Robin handcuffed him as he sat there stunned while Batman got the CEO out of the trunk. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured." Ra's watched the scene take place, his eyes never leaving the forms of Batman and Robin. The kid was smirking as usual, while his mentor kept his glare focused on the homicidal clown being shoved unceremoniously into the back of an Arkham van. The Joker jerked, his mutilated mouth grinning wider than ever as he mouthed a couple words to Batman.

_Next time, it'll be your little Birdie._

In response, the Dark Knight reinforced his glare as he placed both hands on his protégé's shoulders. The meaning was clear.

_You touch him; you'll wish you had been killed in that crash._

At that moment Robin looked up to smile at his mentor. He turned around to face the older vigilante and said something indistinguishable. A quick upward twist of the corners of the man's mouth indicated something the assassin had never seen before: happiness, affection… love.

Ra's smirked as the Dynamic Duo nodded at Commissioner Gordon and disappeared into the background. He turned and pressed a button on his desk.

"Ubu?"

"Master?"

"Gather ten of the best members of my elite squad together in the briefing room. I have a mission for them."

"As you wish, my master." Ra's leaned against his desk, allowing the revelation and possible plans to course through his mind. He didn't understand how he couldn't have seen it before. It was right in front of his face, probably had been for a while, but then again, so was the love-hate relationship of Bruce and his daughter. That had taken priority… until now. Of course, this couldn't be undertaken like a common kidnapping.

"Detective, you have eluded me time and time again, but this time, you will not escape me." An evil smile spread across his face. "After all, who can resist the one who holds the power over his son?"


	2. Chapter 2

_Sorry this took so long. I had several... obstacles. Most school-related. Anyways, Chapter 2._

_Disclaimer: If I put this into a comic once I finished this, then the people in charge of DC comics will have a reason to yell at me._

The bats screeched as light hit their leathery, furry bodies, and took off right across the windshield of a certain black vehicle.

"_That_ was asterous." The Dark Knight's lips twitched.

"The Joker or the bats?" He turned the key and the motor died.

"Both." His protégé unbuckled and stretched. It had been a long night and he was tired. "Why doesn't Arkham keep that clown under heavy lockdown 24/7?"

"Perhaps that it would make too much sense, sir?" Alfred was at his side, holding a covered tray. "I took the liberty of making a midnight snack for both of you. However, since it is currently after 4, I do believe it is your early morning snack." Robin leaped out of the car, performing an aerial somersault before landing in front of the butler.

"Thanks, Alf." He took the lid off the tray, revealing two plates of cookies and two glasses of milk. "What would we do without you?"

"I am sure I exist if only to keep you both from starving or at least food poisoning. Neither of you are able to properly feed yourselves."

"Just because I accidentally blew up the microwave once doesn't mean I can't feed myself."

"Correction, Master Dick, you blew up the microwave four times."

"Okay, so I lost track." The boy smirked. "At least I haven't blown up the kitchen."

"Yet," the butler added. "Though if I do say so, young sir, you mess with my kitchen any longer you'll break even Master Bruce's record."

"Thank you, Alfred." Batman's voice dripped with sarcasm as he turned to glare at his butler. "Keep mentioning that. Then it won't surprise you when he does break my record."

"With all due respect, sir, you seem to expect it to happen as well."

"Can't stop it now, Alfred." The boy's grin was nearing Cheshire-like proportions. "I've got Bruce's record to beat!"

"Which is going to have to wait until tomorrow." The beginnings of a snicker sounded in his throat until he met his mentor's gaze.

"I can't skip school?"

"You can't skip school."

"Not even for this?"

"_Especially_ not for this."

"Darn." Robin peeled off his mask, becoming Richard Grayson, resident rich kid. A sheepish grin covered his face. "Shouldn't have checked." Batman took off his cowl, becoming billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne.

"No, you shouldn't have. Now, go to –"

" – bed." Dick finished, sighing. "Right. 'Night Bruce. 'Night Alfred."

"Goodnight, Dick."

"Goodnight, Master Dick." Once the boy had gone upstairs, Alfred turned to his employer.

"I trust that you will be heading off to bed soon as well, sir?" Bruce turned towards the illuminated screen.

"Perhaps. Once I've finished a sweep of Gotham." Alfred sighed.

"Master Bruce, you have a meeting at 8:00 later today. You desperately need to get some rest." Bruce turned his chair to glare at him.

"I need to run a scan on Arkham's latest security, to know whether or not WayneTech should offer to upgrade so that maniac won't escape. Again."

"Of course. And while the computer's doing that it gives you, sir, some time to catch up on sleep." Alfred returned the glare. After a few minutes rolled by, Bruce turned back to the screens.

"Wake me if there's any change." He pressed the button and started up the stairs.

"Sir?" Turning around, the vigilante caught his loyal friend's raised eyebrow. "Your uniform?" His lips twitched.

"In this case, the exception that I allowed Dick will apply to me as well." The Dark Knight reached the elevator and pressed the button. He stepped inside the small area. "Goodnight, Alfred." The doors closed. Alfred smiled with relief.

"Goodnight, sir." He walked to the computer and stared at the screen. It was 04h30, and the scan was nowhere near done. Sighing, he sat in the chair and leaned back. It was going to be a long finish to an already long night.

Shadows filed into the room, feeling their way inside. The light in the room wasn't great, but it was enough where they could see the time. 04h30. Ten pairs of eyes gleamed in the darkness, revealing nothing in their shining depths. The one who gathered them nodded to his master as he stepped aside to let him enter. Ra's al Ghul walked into the room and nodded in satisfaction. Ubu had picked his men well.

"I thank each of you for being here," he began, pulling a chip out of his pocket and inserting it into the computer. "I am sorry for having Ubu wake you this early in the morning; however I have a mission for which I needed the best of the best, my core of elites." The light from the computer brightened and extended to form a hologram of the Earth in the middle of the room, revealing dark-clothed men with every patch of skin concealed with the exception of around their eyes. They carried no arms at their sides, none that were noticeable at least. Ra's looked around to certify that they were all looking at him, cleared his throat, and continued.

"I want you to kidnap Robin." Confusion flickered in the eyes of the ten and on the face of his servant. Ra's kept going. "Suffice it to say, I want to use the boy for a special purpose. The details do not matter." He used his hand to tug at the hologram, changing it from a globe to a map of the United States to a view of the northeastern states. He zoomed in to focus on a patch of cities. The closest to him was Gotham. "This afternoon you will be practicing road work. These two roads, here and here," he pointed at the outside ones, "must be demolished by the time Batman's protégé arrives. Leave the middle one open. There is sufficient cover for all of you. When the boy passes through, make sure he never gets out." One of the ten cleared his throat and stepped forward. Ra's beckoned to him.

"How will we even be sure that Robin will take this road?"

"A… _friend_ of mine will create a distraction that will force the child to take that road. After all, it is the shortest and quickest road to here." He pointed to the town at the end. "Make sure he never reaches his destination." He saw the same man step forward. "Yes?"

"How do we know that Robin won't be taken there by one of the League or even Batman himself?"

"Leave that to me." Ra's commanded. "Go take the boy and bring him to me. You have until midnight." With that, the men bowed their heads briefly and padded out. Once they were gone, he turned to his servant.

"Has our fellow intellect responded?" Ubu nodded and inclined his head in deference.

"He has, and wants you to know that he was only able to break out the smallest ones. He also said that their abilities, both mental and physical, have been improved."

"Excellent." A smile carved its way onto Ra's face. "Once our friend gets them to Happy Harbor, their enhanced abilities will create enough trouble to keep the League and their children busy." He started towards the door. "Prepare the rooms. I must check on my daughter's progress."

A fancy black car made a sharp turn as it pulled into the driveway of one Wayne Manor. Dick's ears winced at the screeching of the tires. Normally he'd crack a joke to Alfred that his driving was getting sloppy, but now was not the time. Right when Alfred had picked him up, his pager went off, the figure of the Bat blinking and beeping. Something serious must have happened.

Richard jumped out of the limousine as soon as the butler opened the door and sprinted towards the Manor. He barely acknowledged Alfred's call of, "Watch where you're going, Master Dick," as he neared the front door. His eyes narrowed. _If the Joker escaped again, _I'll _be the one to put him in a body cast._

The front door burst open. The acrobat performed an aerial somersault, bouncing off the floor to the bannister, to the wall to land at the top of the stairs. As soon as his feet touched the floor, he ran. He made it to the grandfather clock, moved the minute and hour hands to their correct positions, and moved into the elevator.

As soon as the doors opened, Dick was out of there. The stairs went by with a blur as he made it over to his mentor's side.

"What's the problem?" Bruce pulled up footage of his team fighting at least seven monkey-sized creatures.

"Happy Harbor is being attacked by a group of genomorphs, similar to the ones you saw from Cadmus." Robin groaned.

"Not again. Zeta-tube?"

"No, the mountain is completely locked down. I'm finding out why. Use your cycle."

"Got it." The Boy Wonder ran to the edge of the platform and took off, performing a triple somersault. He landed on the balls of his feet, straightened, and glided over to his R-cycle. He looked back up at his mentor and grinned.

"See you there!" Helmet on, the lad revved up the engine. Throwing a final smirk up at his mentor, he zoomed out of the cave.

Everything was silent.

"Kid Flash, behind you!" Two jets of water streamed back the ginger's back to collide with two G-Gnomes that had just appeared. He zoomed over to his savior and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Thanks, Aqualad."

"You are welcome."

_/Aqualad, Kid Flash. I need your help/_ M'gann's voice wavered. Both guys sensed the distress in their friend's voice, not to mention something pounding against their mental link. _/The lead G-Gnome__*__ needs to be taken down, otherwise I won't be able to keep this up/_

_/Anything for you, babe/_

_/Wally, is it possible for you to focus on something serious for once, such as the fight?/ _Artemis snorted. _/If not, then do us all a favor and let yourself get killed/_

_/Artemis…/_ Kaldur tried.

_/What's wrong, Replacement? Jealous that you don't look as good as Beautiful here?/_

_/Wally…/ _Kaldur tried again.

_/At least I don't get distracted, Baywatch/_

_/Would you stop calling me that/_

_/STOP FLIRTING WITH M'GANN/_

_/Shut up/ _Connor finally joined the conversation. _/Sheesh, Robin is right: you two do need a room/_ Both directed angry glares at him.

_/Besides, M'gann needs our help – NOW/ _Aqualad took back the conversation with ease. _/Separate. I have an idea/_

_/It better be a good one/ _Kid Flash glanced nervously at the G-Gnomes. _/Good thing Bats got our message. Just hope Robin got it too. We need some serious ninja stealth here/_

Robin pushed his motorcycle to the fastest speed possible. The last time his team had fought the G-Gnomes, they had barely made it out in one piece. From what it sounded like, the playing field was a little more even this time. Blockbuster, Guardian, Dubbilex, and the larger genomorphs weren't present, and M'gann was gaining more control over her telepathic skills. Plus, they had gotten two new team members since that time. He activated his GPS button and touched the center of the viewscreen mounted on his bike.

"At the very least, I should get there in the next fifteen minutes. As for routes – holy CRAP! Woah!" Robin swerved his cycle to the center lane, just barely escaping the gaping hole in the middle of the road he had been on. Glancing at the other road on his left, Robin saw that it was torn up too. He sighed as he slowed down to view the extent of the damage. The center lane was the only one unscathed. His eyes narrowed to slits behind his mask. First the genomorphs and now this.

"That works. I was planning on taking the shortcut anyway." He revved up his engine and shot down the road, leaving behind two torn down roads and one set of unnoticed, unblinking eyes.

When Batman drove up, everything was clear. The G-Gnomes had been knocked out thanks to the timely arrivals of Martian Manhunter and Black Canary. None of the larger ones had been present, which he found to be odd.

"Batman!" He turned to see Canary waving him over. He swung over the side of the Batmobile to walk towards her. Once he got close enough, he looked at her.

"What's your recommendation for our little friends here, if only so Supe – Conner," she glanced worriedly over at the clone, "won't rip them to pieces?"

"I called Green Lantern. He and Martian Manhunter will secure them in the Watchtower for future analysis," he responded gruffly.

"Alright." She sent Connor to help the others. Once she was sure he was far enough away, she turned back to Batman. "Thanks again for helping me get out of the Mountain. Any idea who caused the lockdown?"

"None. Whoever it was had advanced equipment but moderate skills. It didn't take long."

"Blue Beetle is helping Red Tornado with getting the Zeta-tubes back online. Not sure how he knew, but I got a feeling you were behind it." He nodded.

"Hey." Both turned to see the team standing there with Wally at the front. "Rob isn't doing Gotham solo again, is he?"

"What do you mean?" Canary asked.

"Well he hasn't shown up, so I figured that Bats was probably going through another overprotective streak and kept him home."

"He hasn't shown up?" Batman asked. The team shook their heads. Without another word, Batman turned.

"Where are you going?" M'gann asked as they watched him walk back to his vehicle.

"I'm going to get Robin," Batman responded flatly. Without another word, he jumped into the driver's seat and closed the roof. The Batmobile sped off.

"Damn," Artemis said. "Sure hope Rob's not in trouble again."

"He's been doing this since he was a kid." Wally assured her. "He's probably just waiting for Batman to get there so he can tease him about his overprotective parent mode."

Black-gloved fingers tapped the keys, bringing up the radar. He scanned for the tracker he planted on Robin's R-cycle. Huh. For some reason, he couldn't get the signal. Fear grabbed at him, threatening to drown him, but he shook it off. No reason to get paranoid so quickly.

The Batmobile screeched to a stop and Batman leaped out. Noticing some irregularities in the road ahead, he started walking. Once he got closer, he frowned. The road he was on was all right, but the other two were demolished. Someone wanted Robin to take this road, but why?

As he walked back, he found his answer. Trees shrouded the road on either side. Wouldn't be difficult to reach down, grab the boy, and make a run for it. Or to drop something, causing an accident. There was only one way to find out. Batman clenched his teeth. Where was that bike? Suddenly something blue and red whooshed by and hovered in front of him.

"Superman," Batman growled. Before he could say anything else, Superman held up a hand.

"I found the bike," was all he got out before the vigilante shoved him aside and strode past into the trees. Clark followed, giving directions when needed.

When Batman reached the clearing, he stopped cold, causing Clark to zoom back before he accidentally hit him. The cycle lay on its side in the clearing, the GPS and viewscreen slashed to bits. No wonder he couldn't track it.

He bent down and studied the ground. Barely visible footprints, about eight to ten pairs of them, marked the ground. A sliver of yellow and black waved at him. He focused in on that. It was a piece of cloth. He came to pick it up with tweezers, and froze just as he was about to store it away.

It was a piece of Robin's cape.

"Bruce," Superman said softly, but the Dark Knight ignored the Boyscout. His shoulders slumped in inches. Dick hadn't made it past this point, which explained why no one had seen him.

Robin had been kidnapped.

*Note: G-Gnomes are what the small, monkey-sized creatures from Young Justice Episode 1: "Fireworks" are called, with the exception of Dubbilex, who is a G-Goblin. The first G stands for Genomorph.


	3. Chapter 3

_I am sorry for taking so long to update. Between school and my new job, life has been hectic. However, I have updated - finally. My thanks to _Thaliag.2 _and_ Elyograg _for giving me feedback on this._

_Disclaimer: "Not mine," said the cat. "Not mine," said the dog. "Not mine," said Jedi Ani Unduli._

* * *

><p>Blue eyes opened to close again in sudden pain. A weak groan forced itself past his lips.<p>

_Why do the lights have to be so bright? And why are my hands and feet still tied up? With all the drugs they pumped into me, I am definitely not going anywhere. Totally not whelmed. _

The door opened. Even though the footsteps were muffled, Robin could guess to the number of people. Four had walked in, at least two of them guards. He cracked open one eye – and smirked.

"Bring the prisoner to attention," Ubu ordered curtly. The two guards behind him stalked over to where Robin lay on the cot. They each grabbed an arm and hauled the child up to face him. The main man nodded in curt approval.

"Show some respect." He glared to prove he wasn't kidding. The boy continued to smirk up at him.

"Make me." Ubu's temper flared, and he raised his hand. Just as he was about to strike, a small hand alighted on his shoulder.

"That's enough." The man drew his brows together in a moment of anger before nodding and stepping back.

"As you wish, my lady." Robin's eyes widened. From the shadows stepped out a young, tanned woman. She was smaller than Ubu by a couple inches, body lithe and graceful, and her clothing reflected it. Tan and loose fitting, it showed enough to make any man blush with embarrassment. Being the protégé of Batman, however, taught Robin to focus in on the face. Right now, he really wished the face would change.

"Talia," he growled.

"Greetings, Robin. Or should I call you Richard?" His glare grew stronger; she laughed. "You realize that, knowing your mentor's name, it was too easy to find out your own." She gestured to the guards. "Don't worry about them. They may be able to hear, but they cannot say anything. Their mouths have been silent since they were born."

"What do you want with me?" Robin asked, wanting to get to the point already. The al Ghul family didn't kidnap you on a whim, after all. Instead of answering right away, she leaned down and snatched his face with one of her hands. Her grip was surprisingly strong. Still, he refused to look down, or show any emotion at all, choosing to continue his eye contact and his glaring. Instead of growing angry, as other villains did when he refused to look away or even look intimidated, Ra's daughter sighed.

"Please stop looking at me like that. I prepared some rooms especially for you. After all, even a cell as nice as this one can't compete to a real room, and I'm sure you'd like the extra space." He continued to glare at her. "Your stay here will be comfortable and maybe even enjoyable."

"Why am I here?" Robin asked, voice lowering even more. Talia tilted his head to one side, then to the other.

"You're undamaged. Good. I was worried the elites we sent after you might have roughed you up to the point of you needing to spend your stay here in the medical bay."

"Why am I here?" Robin repeated. Talia ignored him again.

"I believe that it is time you were taken up to your official accommodations." She turned to Ubu. "Take the boy and send the guards to the storerooms. Richard here will need some supplies." Ubu respectfully bowed.

"Yes, my lady." He turned to the guards and spoke to them in Arabic. Robin could make out a few words here and there, but for the most part it was fast and hurried. He hadn't been able to complete the next level of his Arabic studies yet, which sucked in this case. He felt himself being released by the guards and put in an arm-lock by Ubu. After the guards left, Talia nodded in satisfaction.

"Well done, Ubu." She turned to Robin. "Now, let's go see your rooms."

The walk there felt extremely long, but that was due in part to the long corridors and the lifts. Everyone seemed to need to get somewhere. Robin reluctantly walked alongside Ubu (it was either that or choke while being dragged behind the servant), noting something unique for each corridor in case he had to make a quick exit. Even the occasional signs helped. Just because he wasn't fluent in Arabic yet didn't mean he couldn't read or write in it.

12 corridor junctions, 7 lifts, and 5 sets of stairs later, they were standing in front of his rooms. Talia placed her palm on the reader screen in front of the door. The scanner flashed green, and the doors opened. Robin's mouth hung open.

To say the rooms were nice would be an understatement. Floor-length windows surrounded him. At a glance, he found himself to be about midway up a mountain that overlooked a cove and small town below. A beautiful sunset streamed into the room, the view at this height astounding. The tables and chairs were made with a fine dark wood, polished to perfection. The walls were painted a pure white, as were the lights. In the next room, he saw his bed. The headboard and frame looked like they were made from teak, the sheets looked smooth enough to be silk, and the end table looked to be glass with gold specks in it.

Even the splendor of the room did not take Robin's mind off of possible ways to escape. The glass in the windows looked to be too thick and durable for him to break through, and he bet the same went for the end table. The walls were bare except for a few shelves, which were securely set into the walls instead of being nailed on like usual. That was so he couldn't take them apart and use the nails to pick apart the lock or use the boards to knock anyone out. The tables and chairs were bolted to the floor, so he couldn't use them to bust through the window or the door. He knew he'd have to check the bed frame.

As if sensing his thoughts, Talia caught his gaze, smiled and shook her head. Ubu's grip on his arms tightened.

"There is no escape from this place, little bird." She paused as the two guards arrived, gesturing for Ubu to move so they could come in. They deposited the bulky packages on the table, bowed, and left the room.

"Go ahead," she said, seeing curiosity spark in his eyes. "Open them." In the first one was a bundle of civilian clothes, his mask on top. He quickly put it on, feeling almost naked without it this whole time. The civvies he left on the table. The next one was books, language, classical, and historical. He glanced at the Arabic book, heat flushing his cheeks. Of course they would know what language he was currently studying. The third one contained a basket of food. Sandwiches, fruit, a jug of lemonade and cups filled the interior. His good intentions wavered as the smell filled his nostrils. _I haven't eaten since lunch, and getting kidnapped makes a guy pretty hungry_.

As if knowing what was running through his head, Talia smiled down at him. In response, his stomach grumbled. He silently cursed himself.

"Go ahead." She waved at the food. "Eat. It is not poisoned. Plus it may provide you some distraction while you concentrate on your learning." She nodded to Ubu and together they headed towards the door. "If you need anything, push this button." She gestured to the panel on the wall. "The guards outside will be notified of it, and if they feel even a little suspicious they will reinforce themselves. Do you understand?" Robin nodded.

"Good." Before she could turn around again, Robin cleared his throat. She raised an eyebrow at him. "What is it?"

"I would like my previous question answered." He was hoping that she would give him what he wanted.

"What question?" Then again, maybe not. Still…

"Why. Am. I. Here?" Robin knew that she would get irritated with him before long, and decided to speed up the process. He gave her his own version of the Bat-glare. To her credit, she appeared unfazed. A look of sadness crossed her face before she composed herself.

"I would rather you wait until my father returns. Only he can answer that question."

"Then when is he coming back?"

"This evening." Finally! "Once he returns he will come up to see you." She glanced meaningfully around the small suite. "Please be ready to receive him."

The door slid shut behind her.

Out of curiosity – the kind that only people who have been kidnapped so many times before have – Robin looked over every square inch of the walls, the furniture, and even inside the packages. Nothing had been left behind for him to use to escape. Not that he was necessarily going to escape this evening.

_If I find out what Ra's wants, then I'll be able to get free and warn Batman_, Robin thought. His trademark smirk came back and he leaned into one of the chairs. Why not prepare for Ra's al Ghul's visit a little early? He scrapped that idea. As fun as trashing the suite would be, he had encountered the Demon's Head too many times not to recognize that the man had a temper.

_No need to get him riled up right away,_ he reasoned. _Besides, he'll probably expect that I'd do something like that, and I might be able to learn more if I surprise him. _After a second thought, he took the Arabic textbook and started to read.

Didn't hurt to do some extra studying either.

Batman ignored the team's babbling as he concentrated on the piece of fabric. The microscope had helped him find several fibers and soil traces so far. Unfortunately, all the ones he had tested so far were found native to the area and offered no help to the Dark Knight. Superman was so far distracting them by having a Q-&-A session.

"So, Robin's, like, gone?" Wally asked. "As in, vanished?"

"That _would_ be the definition of 'gone.'" Artemis snarked at him.

"Was he taken against his will?" Kaldur asked.

"We believe so," Superman replied. "His bike was left behind with the computer slashed to bits."

"Do we know who kidnapped Robin?" Conner asked.

"Not yet."

Batman closed his eyes and massaged them. Staring into a microscope for three hours straight after combing every inch of the clearing for clues was a strain for the forensic science guys. He could go on for two more hours. What good would that do, though?

_I need to look over all the evidence again_, he thought. _Maybe when combined they will give me the answers I seek_. He typed on the keyboard, bringing up the photos he took, creating a 3-D hologram of the scene in the middle of the room. He took the scrap of fabric and strode over to the projector. Using his portable UV light, he looked at the way the impression was placed.

"Computer," he said. "Insert eleven human males into the scene, ten adult, one early adolescent." The figures popped into the hologram. He typed some commands into the computer, using the footprints and how deeply they were set to determine position, pose, and speed. Next, he used the soil placement on the cloth to determine Robin's approximate position, and the stages of drying to determine how many times he switched positions. As he typed the final commands into the computer terminal, he remembered some discrepancies between the indentation and time difference between some of the splotches. He also remembered certain oddities at the scene itself.

Suddenly, it clicked.

"Batman to Team, get to the briefing room. Now."

_I know what happened._

Ra's al Ghul studied the camera as it honed in on Batman's protégé. He took in the continued wear of the costume plus mask, the half-eaten basket of food, and the open Arabic textbook. He allowed himself a small smile. _Even when captured, if allowed he never falls behind in his studies. Wouldn't hurt to give him a little test_. He allowed the scanner to read his palm, then stepped through the doorway.

"مساء الخير، روبن," he said.* _Good evening, Robin._

"مساء الخير، رأس بن غول," Robin replied, slightly startled but quickly resumed his neutral expression. _Good evening, Ra's al Ghul._

"لا تشوبه شائبة تقريبا العربية الخاص بك." _Your Arabic is almost flawless. _Robin inclined his head.

"شكرا لك. لقد تم ممارسة. أنا لست تقريبا بطلاقة كما كنت، ولكن."_Thank you. I've been practicing. I'm not nearly as fluent as you, however._

"Excellent!" Ra's al Ghul smiled with satisfaction. "You are not only gaining fluency, but you are a good flatterer as well. Makes me think you should practice while you're here." Robin set down the book and crossed his arms.

"While I'm here?" He repeated, looking at the Demon's Head. "While I'm here, maybe you could answer the question I'm not getting the answer to."

"Oh?" Ra's lifted one eyebrow. "May I ask which one?"

"I think you know which one." Silence stretched thick between them. Robin remained in his seated position with arms crossed, glaring. Ra's al Ghul sat at the chair directly across from the acrobat, returning the glare with an amused look.

Finally, he broke the silence.

"May I remind you, Robin, that we leave more captives dead than alive? You should be grateful that you remain breathing as of yet." The boy groaned.

"Why am I _here_, Ra's?" The Demon's Head sighed.

"Vino acum. Desigur, până acum aţi ghicit raţionamentul meu. Sunteţi ca logic ca mentor, Robin. Sau ar fi mai adecvat Dick?" _Come now. Surely by now you have guessed my reasoning. You are as logical as your mentor, Robin. Or would Dick be more appropriate?_**Robin jerked in his seat, looking like a cornered animal.

"What did you say?" he hissed.

"Este că nu numele tău? Sau ar fi mai puţin pasăre adecvată?"_Is that not your name? Or would little bird be more appropriate?_

"You have no right!" Ra's pretended to be confused.

"Nici un drept? Dragul meu băiat, acesta este un termen de alint folosit de către cei mai aproape de tine. Chiar dacă eu sunt tâlhar ta, am fost aproape de mentor pentru zeci de ani. Desigur, am mutat dincolo de tipic tâlhar / captiv relaţie."_No right? My dear lad, it is a term of endearment used by those closest to you. Even though I am your captor, I have been close to your mentor for decades. Surely we've moved beyond the typical captor/captive relationship._

"That's not the same and you know it!" The Boy Wonder seethed. "You think you can speak my language? Only a few people know how to speak it, and you shouldn't be one of them!" The eyebrow went up again.

"Încă obtinerea peste stresul de a fi capturat. Desigur."_Still getting over the stress of being captured. Of course._ Ra's rose and palmed open the door. "I shall visit you again tomorrow, when you are in the mood to cooperate with me."

"Cooperate with you?" Robin got up and stormed over to the Demon's Head. "Tell me why I should even consider cooperating with murdering scum –" Ra's open hand slapped the acrobat's face, temporarily blinding him. The momentum carried him back against the table, effectively stunning him.

"Because, my dear boy, it's simple." Ra's stepped into the hallway, his manservant hovering just outside the door. "You can help me with adding a certain someone to my collection. Either you cooperate, or you watch him die. You don't want another unfortunate accident to happen to your family, now do you?"

The door slid shut.

* * *

><p>*My computer switched this around so it reads left to right instead of right to left.<p>

**I could not find a suitable translator of Romany on the Internet, so I used Romanian. Yes, there is a difference. Romanian is based off of Vulgar Latin while Romany is based off of ancient Sanskrit. If I'm really ambitious, I might take a class on how to read and write it. ;)


	4. Chapter 4

_First, I want to apologize for the lateness of this chapter. College and life snatched up my free time. I hope you will forgive me for that._

_I want to thank Thaliag.2 and Elyograg for beta-reading this chapter. And now... the fourth chapter! Enjoy, and review please. :-)_

_Disclaimer: None of this is mine. However, I would love DC comics to consider some of the story-lines we come up with and make them into comics/comic series. Who agrees with me?_

"_Batman to Team, get to the briefing room. Now."_

"Finally!" Wally stretched. "Took Bats long enough."

"By now he probably knows where Robin is and will give us our mission," Aqualad said.

"Are you kidding? Batman is protective of Robin. _He'll_ be the one going to rescue Robin, not us."

"Then why is he calling us to the briefing room?" Artemis growled at him.

"Probably to show us what happened." Wally shrugged at her stare. "He likes to show off with his gadgets. Besides, this wouldn't be the first time he up and left to get Robin by himself. We'll remain behind just so we can inform the League. That should keep them from freaking out."

"But whenever we're called to the briefing room, it's for a mission," M'gann said. "Why would he be calling us there if we're not going on a mission?" Wally threw up his hands.

"I don't know, okay? I'm just basing my theory off of Bats's past actions. We might get a mission, but the odds are not in our favor." Artemis snickered. "What?"

"Wow, Baywatch, you're making sense for once." He frowned at her.

"I usually do," he pouted.

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too." Kaldur rubbed his forehead wearily.

"Would you two please stop? We are almost to the briefing room and you know Batman is angry already." The two continued to glare at each other, then nodded to their leader. Bat-lectures were unappreciated and they would do anything to avoid them.

The briefing room, contained in the center of the Mountain, usually had several screens up at the same time, containing video feeds, a link to live TV, and a holographic keyboard. At the moment, the blue glow of the multiple screens and holographic projections combined was bright enough to provide sufficient lighting for the entire room. There was one addition the team had never seen before. In the middle of the room there was a holographic landscape showing a remarkable likeness to the area where the struggle had taken place. Besides that piece, there were two screens running through lists of unintelligible words, while another one covered the whole opposite wall. The only thing visible on that screen was the word "Loading".

"You're late." Batman growled. The team was startled, but tried hard not to show it. Apparently Batman could hide even with this much light. Either that or they seriously needed to work on their observation skills. Artemis secretly suspected it was the latter.

"Why have you called us?" Aqualad asked.

"Yeah, why?" Kid Flash crossed his arms. Artemis rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the side. "OUCH!" He glared at her, but kept quiet. _Finally_.

"I have a mission for you guys," the Dark Knight stated, striding towards the holographic landscape. "As you know, Robin was abducted from this area today, between 3 and 4 pm approximately. He tapped several buttons, bringing up frozen 3-D images. "From the evidence collected, I estimate around eleven fully grown human males attacked him." He pressed another button.

The holographic scene came alive. Two "men" picked "Robin" off his bike and threw him into the grove. Only his acrobatic skills saved him from getting a serious concussion. One stayed behind to grab the bike while the other rejoined the rest of the group in the center of the clearing. For the most part, Robin was able to keep above the men, but that stopped when one grabbed the edge of his cloak, pulling Robin onto the ground. From the way the figure was laying on the ground, it could be assumed that the breath had been knocked out of him, allowing the others to jump in and secure him.

"That is the most likely scenario based on the evidence I gathered," Batman said, his voice shaking the team out of their reverie.

"Does the evidence point to who took him?" Artemis asked.

"A piece of a foreign fabric was left behind," Batman responded. "The manufacturer is unknown, but the weave is identical to the kind the League of Shadows uses. The leader of the League of Shadows is Ra's al Ghul." The screen loaded at that moment and displayed the picture of the man. His hair was striped in shades of black and white, covering his head and forming two neatly trimmed mustaches on either side of his nose. A green cloak covered his shoulders; underneath laid glimpses of a white shirt, black vest, and a sash over black pants and black boots. In his hand he grasped a staff topped with a golden globe. "He has his League of Shadows behind almost every major event in the world and many of the smaller ones, especially in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. He has many bases of operations, centered on the continent of Africa but at least one on every continent and in many countries around the world."

"How does this help us find Robin?" Aqualad inquired.

"Yeah! He could be anywhere by now!" Kid Flash exclaimed. His hands and feet twitched with every word he said, betraying his sense of panic.

"Calm down, Kid Flash." Batman looked at Kid Flash, allowing a hint of sympathy to color his words. "There were some soil and plant transfers in the crime scene. The soil registers high in sodium chloride content, indicating a close location to one of the two oceans. The plant trace is Chenopodium album L, otherwise known as pigweed, which is found in cold, mountainous areas on the continent of Africa. Combining the two pieces of evidence revealed the location." He allowed two seconds for the information to sink in, then brought one of the background screens forward. The sea and the harbor centered in the photo, with crowds in the background vying for goods in the many shops shown while mountains dominated the background.

"He's in Morocco."

"Alright!" KF pumped his fist. "FINALLY we know where Robby is. So, how do you want us to do this mission?"

"Am I correct in assuming you want us in stealth mode, Batman?" Aqualad asked, ever the polite one. Batman looked over each person of the team, knowing what he had to do.

"I will be assuming command – and responsibility – of the mission. Chances of success are greater if I go this alone."

"Then why did you call us?" M'gann asked as Wally groaned and slumped against the wall.

"You deserved to know what happened to your teammate. Also, if and when the Justice League attempts to contact me, you will be able to inform them on my absence."

"Why can't you tell them?" Artemis asked, blinking in disbelief. Batman really was overprotective. And she thought Ollie was bad…

"If the mission is to succeed, the fewer people that know, the better. Also, I will need to maintain radio silence for the entire time." He tapped several keys, bringing forward the screens that had been running through words. He placed the screen of Ra's al Ghul to the side and swept out of the room. "The screens are running through names, aliases and places the League of Shadows own. I want you to review all data, including the evidence from Robin's kidnapping, especially if they're in or within a 100-mile radius of your respective cities. Copy the information to your portable storage drives for your respective mentors." Batman typed in a password to the entrance of the hangar bay and watched the doors open.

"Uh, Bats?" KF asked. "Are you sure this isn't a little… well, extreme?"

"The League of Shadows is a powerful organization and likes to attract attention right before they do something big. Kidnapping Robin made sure they have both mine and the League's attention, which means that their big plans aren't far behind. You five need to ensure that the Shadow's operations in each of your cities are either taken down or going to be taken down by the time I get back with Robin."

"Can't we come with?" Connor asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Batman stepped through the entrance, turned and met his gaze.

"No." The doors swished closed. The team gazed at the data streams before them. Minutes later, they heard the familiar sound of the Batjet taking off, leaving the mountain – and them – behind.

"I knew it!" Wally exploded. "Batman tells us all this so we can sit here and do nothing while he goes and rescues our buddy. He's our best friend, for crying loud!"

"He is Batman's protégé," Kaldur responded calmly. "As his mentor, Batman can and should take full responsibility of Robin's rescue."

"Besides, it's not like we have nothing to do," M'gann said, taking a hesitant look at the screens, slowing down the speed. Her eyes bugged out. "There's enough information here to keep all of us busy for at least three hours, and that's just the reading and sorting!"

"We have to copy it onto disks for our mentors, too," Artemis groaned. "Even if we get it done and get it to our mentors, we won't be able to come with. It'll officially be a 'League matter', not a Young Justice matter."

"Which means –" Aqualad began.

"Stand back, people!" KF cracked his knuckles and stretched his head from side to side. "Let the King of Speed work here!" He sped to the screens and created five terminals. "Hand me your drives!" Each team member took out and handed their drives to the speedster, albeit a little reluctantly. "Just don't break mine, Baywatch, or you're buying me a new one," Artemis threatened.

"Now – WATCH!" He dashed towards the terminals, plugged each data drive into a terminal, and became the blur copying data onto each drive.

"So…" M'gann began. "I assume we are going after our friend?" Artemis smirked at her.

"You bet on it."

"As team leader, I feel obligated to inform you that if you do not want to come, you do not have to," Aqualad stated. "We will be heading into a dangerous fight."

"When has that stopped us?" Connor asked.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be concerned about the possible consequences of our actions?" Artemis asked.

"I would cite the whole list, yes, but I know you all will simply ignore it," Kaldur stated. "Besides, I too would want to be there to rescue Robin. He would do the same for us if any one of us were taken." The others nodded in agreement and watched KF speeding away at the terminals.

"How much longer, Baywatch?" Artemis asked.

"First: stop calling me that, and second: not much," Wally replied, his eyes glued to the screens. "The data is sorted and has just begun getting stored on your devices. Only a few more minutes now." Almost immediately the terminals began beeping, signaling the transaction was completed.

"Alright!" The speedster pumped his fist into the air, pulling out the devices and flinging them towards the Kryptonian to catch. "Now we can send our mentors the message and be outta here!"

"I can have Sphere send the urgency signal to our mentors to pick up the devices," Connor offered.

"Even better!" KF grinned. "Now can we go?"

"I'll prep the Bioship," M'gann offered, flying in the direction of the hangar.

"Too bad we can't just e-mail the data," Artemis stated.

"Yeah," KF agreed, "but this way we have a chance of getting the jump on eliminating the major HQ's of the League of Shadows in our country. 'Sides, face-to-face data transfer is preferable."

"More like a data drop-off," Connor stated, placing the storage devices on the counter.

"Our mentors are the only ones who can get in and out," KF said. "Plus, I'll write them a note." He speed-scribbled a note and placed it on the counter next to the devices. "'Something came up, will be back soon. The Team.' There, now our mentors definitely won't worry about us."

"Why bother?" Artemis rolled her eyes as she and the others hurried towards the hangar bay. "I mean, we're disobeying a direct order to remain behind to follow the World's Greatest Detective to rescue our friend who's being held captive by one of the most powerful secret societies in the world. What's to worry?"

"Exactly!" Wally nodded in agreement, already zoning out of the archer's last statements. "Hurry up! We got Bats to follow, Robins to rescue. Comeoncomeoncomeoncomeon!" He made sure the last member was on board, sped up the ramp and buckled in. The Bioship soared out of the hangar and onto Batman's last known trajectory.

* * *

><p>Batman looked out the windshield as the Batjet zoomed across the Atlantic Ocean. His gloved fingers tapped out the code to switch from manual to autopilot. Once the autopilot was engaged, his hands tapped the small map on the right-hand consol. He zoomed in to focus on the small, horn-shaped section that jutted out between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Three names jumped out at him: Tangier, Ceuta, and Tétouan, the three part-cities, part-towns in that area. He connected the three places to form a triangle and determined the midpoint. There. He zoomed in for a closer look.<p>

That mountain looked familiar. He remembered visiting Morocco when he was on his worldwide expedition to learn and master fighting forms, but he never remembered going into the mountains. _I did, however, train at the bases of several mountains_, he thought. _This must have been one of them. The locals feared the mountains, saying shadows dwelled there, killing anyone who dared venture up there. It is possible, but…_ His eyes narrowed.

_Why would Ra's al Ghul take Robin, and why to Morocco?_

The Batjet was silent as the Batman reasoned out possible answers.


	5. Chapter 5

_My thanks to Acarolin95 for helping me out with the_ real _Romany translations. I want to have a little more "quality time" with Ra's al Ghul before we get into the full-blown action sequences, which are being written even as I'm typing this. Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: If I could, I would write for DC comics. Or Star Wars. Or Redwall. Or all of the above if I could._

"Bună dimineața, păsărica." _Good morning, little bird. _Dick felt the hairs on his neck bristle at the Demon's choice of words. He struggled for a moment to remain civil.

"Bună dimineața, Ra lui Al Ghul." _Good morning, Ra's al Ghul._ He felt the man's appraising eyes wander over every inch of his body. Not in the perverted way; this was different. Ra's al Ghul was looking for something he could use, and he probably thought that Robin had it tucked away somewhere. But that didn't make any sense. Nothing – no skill, no device, not even intellect – had been hidden by him. For the most part, Bats and he had stayed in the vicinity of Gotham where Ra's al Ghul had kept tabs on them, like any good possible father-in-law. There was very little Ra's al Ghul _didn't _know.

_What if it was me?_ Robin wondered. _What if Ra's needed my help for something? But that's ridiculous. Ra's has the power, the weapons, the best of the best. Besides, the only person he wants is Batman. I would be in the way, which I _know_ is what Talia thinks of me._

"Studii de pornire pentru a ajunge la tine?" _Studies starting to get to you? _Ra's al Ghul smirked at him. "Mă gândeam s-ar putea nevoie de o pauză. La urma urmei, tot de studiu și nu de formare înseamnă că, băiete, pierde aripile. Ai vrea să lucreze cu mine?" _I was thinking you might need a break. After all, all study and no training means you, lad, lose your wings. Would you care to work out with me?_ Robin's eyes narrowed.

"Care e șmecheria?" he asked. _What's the catch?_

"No catch," Ra's said. "Just a small workout session to act as a diversion from all this studying." Robin thought about it.

"Okay." The request seemed honest and up front. "Can I stay in my uniform?"

"By all means." The man stepped to the right of the doorway and gestured to Robin. The young teen followed suit, curiosity piqued.

"Where are we going?" They stepped out into the corridor, where Ra's guards joined them.

"Just to one of my training rooms." Ra's smiled down at the teen. "It is one of my favorite rooms, filled with ancient weaponry and practice dummies. It even contains gymnastic equipment for you, xarica dester'edre*."

"I told you, only Batman can call me that," Robin snapped. He detested hearing his nickname used by villains, but Ra's al Ghul was the only one who said it the same way that Batman did. That made it all the more annoying, not to mention terrifying.

"Of course, but Batman is not here, is he? And you truly did not think I would not use it as well, since you are only a spell away from gaining true flight."

"Will I be expected to practice with you?" Robin asked, choosing to ignore the Demon's suspiciously creepy comment.

"But of course," Ra's al Ghul replied. "I need to make sure that certain, vital skills have been imparted to you by your mentor and are still retained in your memory."

Once they arrived at the training room, Robin's jaw dropped. It was enormous, bigger than the spaces in the Batcave, and that was saying something. Climbing walls on either side rose far above the flickering lamps. Moving in further, he noticed a corner with the surrounding sides covered with mounted weapons, many that would be considered antiquities anywhere but here. As he turned towards the next corner, out of the corner of his eye he noticed Ra's al Ghul and his guards had not moved from their standing positions at the door. It didn't look like they were going to threaten him; they appeared to be content watching him wander about, looking and evaluating the contents of the room. He resumed looking at the gymnastics equipment Ra's al Ghul had mentioned. It was in good condition, almost new. He could have sworn that a tag was hidden somewhere amongst the gleaming bars and new-smelling ropes. He took a step back to get a better look at the fully functional and equipped gymnastics set. _It's almost like mine_, he mused. _Except mine is older and more used than this set._

"Is everything to your liking, Robin?" he heard Ra's al Ghul ask.

"It is nice equipment," he replied. "I still prefer the Batcave. It's… roomier."

"Of course," Ra's al Ghul replied, coming into the room, three guards following while two remained at the door. "I suppose you would be used to those drafty, dark, and dank conditions. Although my fortress is nothing like your beloved Batcave, at the least it is as or even more well-equipped, if I do say so myself."

"At least ours is hidden somewhere a little more secret," Robin shot back. "And you need to visit a little more often to know: we got rid of the Batcave's dankness."

"True; my location is a little more advertised than yours. However, I believe we can both agree that both bases are more secure than any government or United Nations base." He raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't you?"

"I.. I would," Robin reluctantly agreed. Never having been stuck in a room with the man before his kidnapping, he had to admit that it took more to anger the man, if at all. Then again, being alive for the last few centuries would lengthen one's patience considerably. If he reached the end of that almost infinite patience, the anger at the end would be almost unimaginable. He shuddered inwardly.

_I should probably wait on trying his patience_, he thought. _Besides, Batman will be here soon. I'll be free._

"Robin?" He looked to Ra's al Ghul. The Demon's Head was standing on the practice mats in the sword area, holding two Italian foils under his left arm. He held one out to Robin, hilt first.

"Shall we begin our practice with classical foil?"

* * *

><p>Batman landed his Batjet on the landing pad resting inside the ledge of the mountain. He glanced at the clock. Good. His contingency plan should be arriving approximately twenty minutes after him, if he calculated the speed of their transport correctly (and he had – twice). He punched a button and the canopy of the Batjet opened.<p>

He took a good look around the platform as he leapt out and began to secure the Batjet's landing spot. Everything appeared clear, abandoned even, but the hairs rising on the back of his neck spoke otherwise. Ra's al Ghul meant to lead him into a trap.

What was that line from those sci-fi movies Robin loved to watch? _Spring the trap,_ or something similar. He had more important things to be concerned about than remembering movie quotes word for word.

"Hold on, Robin," he murmured. He recognized this base from years ago. Ra's al Ghul doubtlessly modified and upgraded the security systems, along with the sensors, cameras, and equipment, all in accordance with his paranoid contingency plans. Fortunately, Batman had his own special modifications and upgrades of his own, not to mention several well planned equally or more paranoid contingency plans.

He made his way toward the entrance. The more distance he covered, the less time he had to worry about the welfare of his most recent contingency plan.

* * *

><p>"I see the Batjet!" Wally exclaimed, pointing out the window of the Bioship. His companions relaxed slightly in their seats.<p>

"We see it, Wally," Kaldur replied quietly.

"Do you think Batman knows we're coming?" M'gann asked nervously.

"Maybe, maybe not." Wally shrugged. "All that matters is that he'll have backup."

"If we don't die by tongue-lashing first," Artemis muttered. "Connor, can you see into the jet?" The Kryptonian squinted.

" A little," he admitted. "Enough to know that Batman isn't there."

"M'gann, can you sense him?" Kaldur asked. The Martian closed her eyes and focused her psychic senses.

"I can't sense anyone remotely emoting Batman-like feelings," she said after a minute. "But the psychic field in there is cooler than it would be with an active mind in it. Even Batman can't control that."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Wally demanded, jumping up and zipping around. "I say we go join Bats and rescue Robby."

"Finally," Artemis muttered. "Let's move." Miss Martian nodded and opened the bottom of the bioship so they could jump out.

"Be aware, everyone," Kaldur warned, jumping first. "There will inevitably be traps once we step inside. Be on your guard."

* * *

><p>"En guarde!" Ra's al Ghul cried. "And… Via**!" The slim foil blades moved a step closer, engaged at their weak spots, and one quickly disengaged (removed his blade to) underneath the opposite foil while simultaneously engaging to remove the threatening point and lunged at his opponent, who drew his foil into a parry (block) of fourth and riposted – or extended his blade – along Robin's blade.<p>

"Touch!" Robin called out.

"Halt!" Ra's responded. The two took two steps back, remaining in their en guarde positions (which consist of the leading foot facing forward and the other perpendicular a step-and-a-half back, and the corresponding knees bent directly above each foot), halted, stood, and took off their masks.

"Well, it took longer for you to hit me that time," Robin panted.

"Indeed," Ra's al Ghul replied. "Do you understand your error?"

"I didn't lunge immediately after disengaging, which you noticed and when I did lunge you parried and riposted at that moment where I couldn't immediately stop and switch to defense," Robin stated, wiping sweat from his brow. They had been going at this for two hours now, and his body wasn't used to staying in the unusual positions necessary to classical fencing, especially for that length of time.

"Exactly. You need to work on not telegraphing your plans to your opponent." The man's watch beeped; he tugged back his jacket's sleeve to glance at it. "I believe that is enough training for now. Let's salute out." After doing their eight-count salute, they put their masks on the racks, hung the foils on the wall racks, and stripped of their jackets.

"Classical foil is interesting," Robin commented. He did believe it to be interesting, having learned of the sword art but not how to practice it. Hand-to-hand combat and martial arts took precedence over weapons training, especially weapons with lethal edges. He watched Ra's al Ghul, waiting for a response.

"Indeed. It is more of an art than a sport. A shame that the modern world chooses the action over the artistic nature." He met Robin's gaze. "I'm surprised your mentor never taught you. Surely the blade work would be useful in some of the situations you face in your city of Gotham."

"Martial arts cover almost every scenario we face," Robin countered. "Besides, weapons training tends to make one dependent on their choice, which makes them vulnerable when their weapon is taken away."

"Perhaps. I, however, believe that a solid grounding in both will cover any situation you may be faced with. Sometimes the use of weapons is an _unavoidable_ choice – one your mentor is never really comfortable with, is he?"

Robin kept his eyes locked on al Ghul's and his mouth closed. He was tired of Ra's making Batman out to be weak, cowardly, or somehow less of a man. They both had their codes they followed, but while Ra's used his to destroy and conquer, Batman used his to keep the evil at bay and give humanity a second chance to make the right choice.

While Robin was mulling it over, Ra's al Ghul took the time to open his comlink, disguised as a watch.

"Have they arrived?" he whispered, keeping an eye on the boy.

"They have, Father," the voice replied on the other end.

"Perfect," Ra's murmured. "Keep them busy, but not too busy. And alive. Remember, I want them to find all three of us."

"As you wish," the voice responded.

Closing his watch, Ra's al Ghul looked at Robin, who was smiling. "Why are you smiling, xarica dester'edre?" Ra's al Ghul inquired.

"You told me what I needed to know," Robin cackled. "Batman and my friends have come to rescue me. Looks like my visit will be short lived."

"In one sense, that is true," Ra's agreed. Robin's confident grin wavered but became steady. Poor lad. He was about to get a rude awakening. He looked beyond Robin and nodded. As Robin turned, a black-gloved hand appeared in front of his mouth with a cloth. Robin managed to let out a shocked cry before being muffled by the strong-smelling cloth.

"Do not struggle, Robin," The Demon's Head admonished. "Let the chloroform take effect. And do not worry about your friends. You all will be alive when you meet again. You will be awake by then as well, so you will not be missing out on anything."

The last thing Robin saw before blacking out was the satisfied look on Ra's al Ghul's face, a look that foreboded the worst was yet to come.

* * *

><p>A woman sat surrounded by surveillance footage from thousands of places. Her seat was near the wall, with all the cameras and holographic instant channels surrounding her like an amphitheater. In front of her was a console. She punched a few buttons, enlarging and focusing on four different live feeds.<p>

One was on Batman as he dispatched a few unlucky guards. The second was on the Young Justice team as they worked to avoid the multitude of traps that were hid within their corridor. The third was on Ra's al Ghul being handed the limp and bound form of Robin, finally drugged into unconsciousness. The fourth and final feed was on their Room of Ultimatum. Here was the foolproof plan to make Batman give in to them once and for all. The room looked empty except for a weird shimmer in the middle of the screen. The woman smiled.

"Soon, Beloved," she whispered. "Soon you shall see your rightful place."

* If it's something in Romany, they say little birdie, "xarica dester 'edre", and mum "Dya", and dad "dat" or "ta-ta"

**Via, Italian for, "Go" in Italian classical fencing


	6. Chapter 6

_I thank the Lord for everyone who is still keeping up with this story. I know it's not easy waiting for writers to update their stories. Considering I am back in college and have papers due soon, I decided to update now and wait to update again until I have a little more breathing room. That's college for you. You know the drill: once you've finished reading please review down below. Again, thank you so much!_

_Disclaimer: If only I could write legit DC, then this would definitely be canon. ;-)_

Batman risked a glance around the corner. When he was satisfied that he wasn't seeing anyone, he quickly whipped his body to the adjacent wall and continued his creeper-pace down the hallway.

It was quiet. Way too quiet. Wasn't this supposed to be the fortress of Ra's al Ghul, ultimate crime lord of past centuries' cults? Where were his men, his trainees, ninjas, samurais, and his assassins? It seemed like everyone had vanished into thin air, disappearing without a trace.

It had to be a trap. Every instinct of his screamed it. The barely-there evidence left behind untouched, the ease in finding and gaining entrance to this fortress. Ra's al Ghul wanted him to come in, wanted him to catch up. All for what? His train of thought derailed when he rounded the next corner almost into the ninjas walking towards him.

"Ah, Batman, we've been expecting you," one of the ninjas stated in his thick Middle Eastern accent.

"So have I," he replied, laying into them. Total takedown time: 40 seconds. He snorted. They didn't have a chance. Whatever trap Ra's al Ghul had in mind, he could figure that out later. First priority was getting Robin out.

* * *

><p>"Kid Flash, behind you!" Kaldur shouted. KF ducked just as one of the ninjas kicked the air where his face had been.<p>

"That's so not cool!" Kid Flash huffed. He spun around the guy until the resulting whirlwind knocked the guy off his feet and into dreamland.

"At least we finished the last of them," Artemis stated.

"There's more coming," Superboy stated roughly. "We need to keep moving."

"Agreed," Kaldur said. "But which direction?"

"Allow me." M'gann turned invisible and floated past the group down the first hallway, then flew the opposite direction past the open door. When she got back, she de-cloaked herself and stated briefly:

"There are bad guys coming up both ways. However, I found a ventilation shaft just past this door. I don't know how far it goes, but –"

"It is better than nothing," Kaldur interrupted. He looked to the rest of the team. "Since M'gann can shape-shift, it is better that she goes first. Artemis, you can react the fastest, so you will go next. Kid Flash, follow her in case you three need a rapid exit. Connor and I will go last, closing the entrance and making sure no one is following us. Let us go. Quickly!"

M'gann opened the shaft's grating and slipped inside easily, Artemis sliding in after her. KF dove headfirst, bumping into Artemis. Fortunately, neither of them seemed eager to snap at each other. Connor needed a little urging to get in there, but fortunately Kaldur and he both fit within the shaft. Kaldur slid the grating back into place just as one team of bad guys ran past to meet the other team at the hallway junction.

"We can't find the brats anywhere!" they heard one exclaim. "What do we do?"

"You know the rules," another responded. "Keep looking for them. Lord al Ghul has told us to keep those Justice brats busy, and we will not disappoint him. He desires time to do a little catching up with Batman. Now, search!"

The whole team remained quiet until they heard both sets of teams leave.

/_What do we do?_/ M'gann asked via mind-link. /_If we get out, we'll be discovered and definitely won't catch up to Batman!_/

/_We could to try to find another way to get to his position faster_/ KF stated. /_However, we don't know anything about this place. Rob always has the maps and stuff_/ Everyone paused at that, sadness overwhelming their thoughts at their captive friend.

/_Our best option is to continue through the vents_/ Kaldur said. /_I miss Robin too, but I firmly believe that no one will think to look in these vents, and we will be able to provide back-up to Batman faster_/

/_Not to mention that if we keep going, we're bound to hit the central system and follow it to the controls of this place_/ Connor added. /_Some major damage would do this place good_/

/_Good idea, Superboy_/ Kaldur acknowledged. /_Everyone, start crawling. Next stop, control center_/

* * *

><p>Ra's al Ghul and his daughter, Talia, studied the screen. They saw Batman creeping, securing his lines, and taking down their men, all the while coming closer to their position. Robin sat behind them, unconscious, surrounded on all sides by an interesting piece of machinery.<p>

"Father, he is almost near," Talia stated. "The men have gathered near the entrance of the door, per your request. The Batman will follow our little trail of breadcrumbs to his precious bird!" Her lip curled as she said those last words, deigning to glare at the pathetic little boy behind her. Amazing how one of ignoble blood such as he managed to capture her Beloved's heart, the heart she had already staked her claim on.

"Remain on guard, daughter!" Ra's al Ghul cautioned. "Batman has brought backup this time: Young Justice. The children have already made their way well into our lair and have disappeared last just before the medical bay."

"No one has seen them, Father?"

"No one, my daughter. Of course, we do have men waiting for their inevitable reappearance, but until then concentrate on drawing Batman here. Once that is done we may enclose this area so that none of those hero children can get in here. Make sure that all defenses against all known metahumans are in place. Take no chances. Batman must be in here alone with us. No one shall interfere. Besides," he glanced up at the screen again, a smile playing around his lips, "what better way to demoralize your enemy than to have his little followers completely cut off yet watching his every move?"

He looked to his daughter, who brought a small kit bag over to where their key to Batman's loyalties lay. She nodded, bringing out a syringe. His finger poised over the console, eyes detecting every flicker of movement on the screen.

"Batman will be ours!"

* * *

><p>Batman had finished the group of thirty-six combined swordsmen and assassins. He stared balefully at the door they apparently were guarding. He knew this was a trap. He knew that he had been baited, led all the way down here no doubt to face Ra's al Ghul and his daughter, Talia, to answer to them for his previous decision. He knew that they had devised another trap to get him to join this time, which involved the one person he treasured most.<p>

Robin.

Richard Grayson.

Boy wonder, acrobat, and nine-year old orphan.

The one that he swore would never feel the call of vengeance upon his parents' killer as he had on his. The same boy who had taught him that there was something worth living for, fighting for, and that it was his to grab and treasure.

Could he turn away now? Yes. But the Demon and his daughter had his son behind that door, waiting for him. If it hadn't been for his history with them, Dick would never have gotten involved.

He took hold of the door handle with one black-gloved hand, turned it, and stepped inside. Once he was through, the door slammed shut behind him. Light flooded the room.

"Good evening, Detective!"

* * *

><p>It felt like forever, crawling through one darkened vent to another, the only light being afforded to them coming through the gratings where vent met floor, wall, ceiling, etc. Miss Martian was still in invisible mode, working with Artemis to sense what was ahead while having a bodyguard rooted in the current situation to detect any possible threat. Finally, they arrived at their destination.<p>

"Are you sure this is the control room?" Kid Flash asked, looking skeptically through the grating down towards the computer banks.

"I'm sure," Miss Martian stated. "Every monitor is for every room, and there are so many rooms!"

"Alright," Aqualad said. "Everyone, get down there, knock out those who are lagging about, and let's find out where Batman and Robin are."

Lifting the grating up, he quickly ushered the rest of the team through down into the spacious room. Once he finished getting down and resetting the grating into the hole, he nodded in satisfaction. Kid Flash and Connor had done an excellent job in knocking out those who were left in the room, and M'gann and Artemis were avidly studying the cameras.

"Got it!" Artemis exclaimed. "The floor beneath this one, take two rights then a left, and that's where Batman and Robin are. Also, Ra's al Ghul is there."

"Looks like he's got Rob in some kind of torture rack-ish setup," Kid Flash commented. "Complete with knives and everything. We've got to get down there!"

"Agreed," Aqualad said. "Team, let's move out." As one, they surged towards the door, almost reaching the knob when a clear wall shot up between them and the door.

"Hey!"

"What the –"

"Look out!" All around them they saw transparent walls shoot up, surrounding them in a square-like formation. The last wall slid shut on the very top, enclosing their area. They were trapped.

* * *

><p>"Well, Detective, I trust that the trail of breadcrumbs we left for you was sufficient?" The cowled man gave no answer. The white slits for his eyes were focused on the ebony-haired boy bound to the machine. Robin was awake by now, struggling against the metal arms holding him in a vertical position across the metal board, standing three inches from the ground. One metal arm held a smooth, single-edged blade poised directly above the exposed neck.<p>

Batman's hands clenched into fists. He saw Robin's eyes behind the mask, wide and scared. He saw his head shake from side to side, as if he knew what was coming. The Dark Knight had a very bad feeling for what was about to happen.

"Now, Detective," Ra's al Ghul began. "There is no reason to get upset at me. I mean, how else were my daughter and I able to get your attention?" When the Dark Knight's white lenses swung to meet Talia's, she was only able to hold it for about three seconds before looking away, towards her father. Batman hid a smirk. _Surprise, surprise…_

"What do you want, Ra's al Ghul?" Batman barked out. His Young Justice team should be arriving any minute now.

"I'm surprised at you, Detective. The first real chance we get any conversation between the two of us, and already you're reaching for the door handle. Or, in this case, your backup doesn't arrive on time." Behind the man, a screen flashed on to show the Young Justice team trapped within a transparent box, all moving and talking to each other, trying desperately to come up with a plan. "Now, children, please sit still and behave." The teens looked up, surprise etched on their faces. Batman felt his stomach drop several floors. "Any more attempts to break out of the box will force me to temporarily incapacitate you. And before you ask, no, I won't kill you. If you behave I will give you the privilege of watching the rest of the Dark Knight's and my conversation." They looked at each other, nodded, and sat down obediently. They had heard about Ra's al Ghul and his conniving ways. They knew they had no choice but to wait this one out. _Good move, Young Justice_.

"Smart children." Ra's al Ghul did some typing on his command-board. "Within a few seconds, you will have a complete visual of this entire room. Now, Batman," he returned to his nemesis. "As I said, we really need to talk."

"And as I have told you, al Ghul, I have nothing to say to you that you haven't heard before," Batman replied. He heard the gasps and cries of the team, signifying that they were seeing what he was seeing.

"How dare you do that to Robin!" KF cried out. "I swear, I'm gonna get out and – AUGH!" He had been pounding his fists against the walls of the box, and upon contact, had been electrified to the point of unconsciousness. The team gawked at the sight.

"As I said, Kid Flash, please behave. Children should be seen and not heard, otherwise punishment must be doled out. That is the only way you children learn," Ra's al Ghul admonished. "Batman, I must admit, it appears that you have grown soft in training these kids. I am disappointed."

Batman remained silent, glowering at the man standing behind the transparent glass wall. Thirteen inches thick and completely bulletproof, it would take about two hours to completely break through and rescue Robin; one-and-a-half if he was at his best. Considering all those assassins and such he had left knocked out several stories above, not to mention the knife wound to his abdomen and fractured rib two different assassins gifted him with, he wasn't at his best. And even if Young Justice managed to escape their prison and make it to his position, they wouldn't be able to break in, at least not easily. This room was completely superhuman-proofed; he had heard the four sets of kryptonite-steel doors close in behind him and seen the thick walls were heated lead. Fiery torches lit up the room, making the heat close to unbearable for M'gann and Kaldur. Even Dick and he would have a difficult time getting in or out. Worst of it was, while he was taking the time to break through the glass, the Demon's Head and his fickle daughter would already be gone with Robin. _His_ Robin.

"Detective, remember the proposal I made you several years back?"

"I remember," he stated. "The answer's still no."

"Come on, Detective, be reasonable. You should be thankful for receiving this proposal a second time. As I've told you, very few men have impressed me the way you have, and fewer still have received another request to join." Out of his peripheral vision, Batman saw the team perk up at this bit of news. Great. Incessant questions would follow this little get-together. This was all Ra's al Ghul's fault.

"I refused to join last time because you kill criminals regardless of their crime," Batman said. "Also, you want to get rid of humanity, allow the earth to revert back to the Dark Ages' madness, and rule whatever humanity is still around. Nothing has changed. I still refuse."

"Ah, but Detective, do you not see what has changed?" _No, no, no, nonononono, _his mind whispered. Images of the night his parents were murdered flashbacked on a loop. "I hold the one thing you hold precious: your son. He means the world to you, does he not?" On Ra's command, the blade lowered slowly towards Robin's neck. "And, I must say, if you refuse me again, there shall be a price to pay for your refusal." A shout went up from Robin's teammates; Kid Flash had already shaken off his attack from earlier. "And there will be a price, Detective. Not only will your dear son pay, but also your comrade's protégés." Batman saw the sides of box begin to close. If allowed to continue, the Young Justice would be squished to death.

"How will they react, I wonder, when they find out that it was because of your stubbornness that their children died? Pretty poorly, I believe. Even Superman will see you for the cold, calculation man you are and soon you won't have anyone who will ever want to work with you again." Batman, now more than ever, wanted to wipe that smirk off of Ra's al Ghul's face. Faced with the imminent deaths of his son, his son's friends, and no immediate way to save either of them, he came to the realization that he would have to give in to Ra's al Ghul. For now.

Ignoring the cries from the Team and the pleading stares Robin was sending his way, he stepped closer to the transparent wall, so close the tip of his nose was almost brushing it.

"Ra's al Ghul!" he thundered. Once he was sure he had the man and his daughter's attention, he continued. "You win." Delighted smiles appeared on both their faces.

"You do concede to my terms?" Ra's al Ghul asked.

"I do. Release them." Ra's typed in a command, which promptly stopped both the walls of the box from tightening and the sword from cutting through Robin's neck.

"Sorry, Detective," he met the Batman's gaze, "but I cannot release them until you stand before me, without any weapons or gadgets, and pledge your allegiance to me." Batman unbuckled his utility belt and tossed it to the side. His gauntlets and weapons from small side pockets were similarly disposed of.

"Release them," he repeated. Ra's al Ghul smirked.

"One last thing, Detective," he said. "Before I deactivate and remove the wall between us, I want you to tell your Young Justice to leave." The Dark Knight faced the screen.

"Team, mission is completed," he stated. "You will go back up to the landing pad. You will not cause any trouble for Ra's al Ghul while making your way up there. Is that clear?"

"But Batman –" they protested.

"Is that clear?" he stressed, voice darkening with anger. The Team looked at each other, and back to Batman.

"Crystal clear," Kaldur responded, his training for these situations down in Atlantis kicking in. Although when he was learning about those situations, he never thought that Batman's contingencies wouldn't be enough. "Let's move, Team." Batman ignored the dark looks he was getting through the screen, relief filling him as they single-filed out of the box and out of the room. They were behaving, as he had asked. Now, one more needed to join them.

"Let my son go," he demanded. The centuries-old bastard was still smirking at him.

"First things first," he said. "On your knees." When he saw that Batman was hesitating, he touched the controls for the machine. The sword began again it's downward arc towards Robin's neck, almost starting to cut.

"STOP!" Batman dropped to one knee. "Let my son go." Ra's al Ghul took no notice of his plea.

"Repeat after me," he demanded. "I, Batman." After a moment –

"I, Batman."

"Do declare unwavering loyalty to Ra's al Ghul."

"Do declare unwavering loyalty to Ra's al Ghul."

"Do declare unwavering support and service to Ra's al Ghul."

"Do declare unwavering support and service to Ra's al Ghul."

"I will follow your commands to the end of my days."

"I will follow your commands to the end of my days." The words left a bitter taste in the Dark Knight's mouth. He glanced at Robin. His son was fine. The sword had just nicked him. He had not failed in keeping his son from death's ever-reaching embrace.

"And if I should fail."

"And if I should fail."

"Then may my due punishment be taken out on me."

"Then may my due punishment be taken out on me."

"I pledge this to you."

"I pledge this to you."

"Now and to eternity." Batman visibly hesitated at that part. It was almost a minute before he responded.

"Now and to eternity."

"Lord Ra's al Ghul."

"Lord Ra's al Ghul."

The Demon's Head smiled, ignoring the muffled cries of the boy behind him. He finally got what he wanted for so long. Batman was his to order, to serve, to control. He would be unstoppable.

Ra's al Ghul's plans would not fail this time.


	7. Chapter 7

_Happy New Year! I bet you all can guess my resolution. *wince* Yeah, working on it, as well as a lot of other projects, plus school and work. I will do better this year, though, I pray. Well, enjoy, and as always a review is welcome!_

_Disclaimer: Same old song and dance routine._

"NO! Batman!" Robin couldn't believe his eyes. His mentor, his _father_ had just sworn loyalty to one of the worst men in the world, all to save his own skin. He had been told how many times to be aware of this man, to keep tabs on his doings, and encounters to "persuade" Batman to take over his place to dominate and rule over the earth. If he hadn't failed in being alert and had fought back harder this wouldn't have happened.

"Rise, my Dark Knight," he heard Ra's al Ghul speak. "Now that I have your loyalty sworn to me, my dominion over this world will be unstoppable!"

"Ra's al Ghul –" Batman began.

"You shall call me the Demon's Head!" the aged man declared.

"Demon's Head," the vigilante continued, "my apprentice is still being held captive by you. Now that you have what you wanted from me, I ask that you let him go. You promised his release upon my sworn oath to you."

"Granted." Ra's al Ghul waved a hand to Talia, who grabbed Robin by the ropes binding his arms and none too gently swung him over her shoulder. "He shall be taken back to your city of Gotham. Meanwhile, you and I need to discuss our strategies."

"Batman, don't listen to him!" Robin screamed, kicking out with his legs. "Batman, don't let this happen!" He heard a grunt as he knocked his head against Talia's. _Bitch_.

"Robin, go." He saw his mentor's jaw tighten. "We will discuss this later."

"Yes, xarica Dester'edre." He aimed his imitation of the Bat-glare over at the Demon's Head. _Fitting name_. "Now run along and be a good little bird. You are no longer needed here." Despite himself, Robin stilled his actions, wincing as Talia tightened her hold on him.

"Batman, don't do whatever he wants," Robin called. "Batman, we'll… you don't have to do this." He met his mentor's gaze, trying to communicate what he really wanted to say without the two worst people in the world interfering. _I'm sorry. It's my fault. Fight it! You got to find some way out of this. You're BATMAN, for God's sakes! _

"Robin," his mentor's voice rumbled across the speakers. "Go. Stay safe."

He could only nod, his gaze fixed upon his masked father's. He maintained the gaze even as he was carried out of the room.

Once the doors closed, he resumed his struggling.

"What… are you… doing?" Talia yelled, trying to regain her control… and her balance. "My Beloved has saved your life back there, and this is how you repay his sacrifice?"

"Batman knows that I will do whatever I can to keep my honor and his," Robin responded shortly. "Our code comes first no matter what." He managed to topple both of them onto the stone floor. Wincing, he struggled to stand up, facing her still on the floor. "It's what he wants."

"What he wants, brat, is for you to go back to Gotham like a good little bird," she spat. "And that's what's going to happen," she gestured for the guards, and within seconds they were ringed by twenty or so elites, "regardless of your cooperation." He felt a prick in his arm, then his head grew heavy and the room spun into darkness. The last thing he heard was an insidious whisper:

"Stay in Gotham, Robin, or you will find a fate more painful than death."

* * *

><p>The Young Justice team was escorted out to their Bioship. Well… carried there was a better term. After Kaldur had acquiesced to Batman's order, the entire next room they walked into had been flooded with an odorless nerve gas, immediately putting them to sleep. Once they woke up they found themselves outside the entrance. A ninja was gazing at them through a small window. He must have seen them wakening, because shortly after KF's eyes opened (being a speedster, the gas passed through his system faster than his teammates') the window shut and a thick <em>chunk <em>of a lock rattled the entire pad.

"NO!" Revving up his super speed, Kid Flash ran towards the door and tried to open it the way it had for them earlier. It didn't budge. Deciding that a bloody nose was worth risking, he attempted to vibrate through the door.

The next to wake was Aqualad, who woke to the sound of something being electrified, thrown back, and KF's, "Ugghh…" He struggled to full consciousness, recognizing that the younger member was most likely injured (again) doing something comparatively stupid (again). His eyes cracked open to see his friend's body lying on the concrete, slightly smoking and very still.

"KF!" He shifted onto his side and pushed himself off the ground, wincing at the headache tearing up the inside of his skull. He stepped towards his friend, taking another step, and another step. "Kid Flash, are you okay?"

"Uhhhhh… I know now what not to try." He gingerly picked himself off the ground, dusting off his uniform. "I saw the door close right after I woke up and tried to vibrate through it." He coughed. "Yeah… **cough cough…** Not doing that again." He wiped his mouth. "Are you the only other one awake?"

"No." Well that settled _that_ question. "How long have we been out?" Artemis asked as Connor walked over to their speedster and swung one of his arms over his broad shoulder.

"Long enough." Kaldur took Kid Flash's other arm over his shoulder. "KF said he saw the door close as he was awake and attempted to vibrate through, with little success."

"Connor, could you bust it down?" M'gann asked her boyfriend.

"I could, but it would take time," the clone answered grudgingly. "And I hear the sound of at least twenty ninjas breathing behind there. We would not be able to get in as easily as last time."

"We didn't get in," Artemis realized. "We were led in."

"That is what most likely transpired," Kaldur admitted. He started walking towards the Bioship. "We should get back to the Mountain now."

"But why?" KF struggled to get free. "Batman and Robin are still in there!"

"Batman and Robin also know better than we what has transpired in there," Kaldur argued. "This villain who captured one to lure the other – and by extension, us – here, is unknown to us. Better to retreat and learn what we can while we wait for those who can better inform us."

"Agreed." Connor looked back to glare at the door. "Once we get our information, then we go back and kick their butts."

"Let's go, already." Artemis floated with M'gann ahead of them up into the interior of their transport. "I'd rather not hang around for a second chance at that gas." Kid Flash groaned as his leg muscles spasmed leading him to stumble, causing his teammates to pause as they tightened their hold on his arms. He aimed a smile, not cocky like his usual ones, up at Artemis.

"I totally second that idea!" Once inside, the Bioship lifted off and flew back towards their headquarters. They had been woefully unprepared for this, and they had only themselves to blame. Despite not being expected, they should have spent a little more time making plans and gathering data than just concentrating on how to track Batman. Next time they met this mysterious man, they wouldn't be so easy to defeat.

* * *

><p>Batman followed Ra's al Ghul into his command center, mindful of the guards flanking him. He hoped Robin was back in Gotham by now, safe and sound. Young Justice would be back in the Mountain, probably making plans to help Robin get through this. He may have been forced into this, but that didn't mean he couldn't figure out a way to subvert the man's plans.<p>

"Now, Detective," Ra's al Ghul began, activating the center hologram and the floating holographic screens above. "Our operations in the Middle East have been successful, and Europe is gradually submitting to my control, but where we could really use your talents is in the United States." He zoomed in to focus on the upper East coast. "Especially this area." Batman gritted his teeth when he saw Gotham among the top three highlighted cities.

"However, that is currently none of your concern." Ra's al Ghul switched the focus to Tibet. "To ensure your loyalty I will have Talia and you co-lead one of our teams to strike this area, concentrating your forces on these three houses, here, here, and here." The shape formed was an isosceles triangle, Batman noted idly. "Now, this is meant to be a warning strike, so no unnecessary killing."

"That's a first." Batman's face remained impassive. "Let me guess, for my next mission I actually have to _save_ someone for you." The Demon's Head glared at him. "Now, Detective, do keep in mind that in order to remain on my good side you should complete the mission with almost record efficiency. I would hate for you to have to be persuaded to be obedient." He got a Bat-glare in response, and otherwise complete silence. He smirked.

"Your mission materials are located in the 2nd level of the below-ground compound. The men have been notified. You have two hours to collect your team and get going."

"Yes, al Ghul."

"Demon's Head." Ra's al Ghul shrugged disarmingly. "Just because you are going to be difficult in adjusting to your new career with us doesn't mean I will be. Now, before you go, here's the new costume designed just for you." He brought it up on the hologram, spinning in a slow clockwise direction. "See Talia for getting it to you. I can't have you running around looking like that. As you well know, you're mine now." Batman internally sighed as he took in his new outfit. Different in size, color, and definitely in accessories, but he could make this work. Not that this was horrible, but he would definitely be working on the loopholes to his promise to the Demon's Head a lot sooner.

"How could I have forgotten," he stated dryly.

* * *

><p>"Master Dick?" Eyes cracked open to reveal a familiar if slightly blurred face. "Master Dick? Oh dear, are you still out of it?"<p>

"A… A… Alfred?" Robin's eyes fully opened, but his blurry vision remained. "Why is my vision still blurry? And – wait, where am I?"

"You are back at the cave, Master Dick. Rest assured the Batwing is parked. As for your vision," he took out a syringe and injected it into the boy's arm. "That should take care of the blurriness. I must say I was concerned. You weren't responding to the antidote for your symptoms. Was it regular knockout gas or morphine?"

"Morphine laced with traces of marijuana," Robin responded, wincing as he stretched his neck side to side, then arms, then legs.

"Ah. That makes sense." Alfred prepared a syringe and stuck it in Robin's other arm. "I am taking a blood sample so I may study this later, once the compound I gave you earlier is isolated. There could be other substances added in that we should know about."

"Of course." Robin sat in silence, minus the pendulum-like swinging of his legs. "Alfred, did Young Justice get back to the Mountain?"

"A couple hours before you returned, young sir."

"Good." He grabbed his cape off the table and performed a double flip off the cold cave floor. "I got to go see them once I've done my tour around Gotham City."

"But, Master Dick," Alfred protested. "You need to rest. Who knows what else was in the potion you were stuck with?"

"I need to meet with them," Dick insisted. "Batman is in trouble, deep trouble, and we need to be prepared to get him back."

"Will you be going to the Mountain?"

"Yes." Alfred sighed, looking towards the beeping Bat computer. The files for Master Dick on there could wait, if this was as urgent as he thought it was.

"You can use the Zeta-beam within the cave. I'll let you in so you won't have spend time cracking the passcodes." Dick beamed at the butler.

"Thanks, Alfred." Without looking back, he added, "I'll be back soon." Alfred noticed that he neither stated a time period to expect him within nor added an encouraging smile to accompany the statement. Plus, he stated it in a Batman-esque tone of voice. Alfred may not be Batman, but he knew when trouble had struck his charges, and this was deep trouble indeed.

He prayed that it would be over by the week's end. Both of them had important societal engagements to attend, and if this was the kind of trouble he was anticipating then neither of them would be able to make it, casting a suspicious light on both of them. It would make their "other lives" harder to live. But, as he was their butler, he could drag both their asses (pardon his French) home and force them to participate if necessary. He wasn't known as "Agent A" for nothing.

Satisfied, Alfred continued his clean sweep of the Batcave.

* * *

><p>Talia's eyes swept across the screen of her handheld tracking device. The dot that was the child had disappeared from one area to appear hundreds of miles in another city. Well, well. Not like this was unexpected.<p>

"You ready to show me my new costume?" She saw the man that was the Bat tower over her, she shielding the screen at the same time.

"Ready when you are, Beloved." He took one long look at her before nodding and turning on his heel to go back out of the room, waiting for her direction. Smirking, she clipped the device to her belt before following.

_You just can't take directions, can you, you little brat? Not that I'm complaining. You'll wish you had listened to my order._


	8. Chapter 8

_Apologies to you, my readers, for not updating until now. I have been stymied with Batman's new costume, the Team, and finals which are going on right now. Thanks to all of you for being patient with me!_

_Disclaimer: Not. At. All. Mine._

"_Recognized, Robin B01."_

Once Robin materialized in the cave's Zeta tube, he was immediately smothered by his teammates' group hug and their endless stream of questions.

"ROBIN! Are you okay?"

"Man, we were so worried. Is your – I mean, is Bats okay?"

"I am pleased to see that you are unharmed."

"Who was that creep that had us?"

"When do we go back to hand that man's ass to him?"

"Guys…" Robin smiled as he took in their presence around him. "Glad to see you're okay." One by one, they released their grip on him, still maintaining the circle keeping him at the middle.

"Of course we're okay!" Kid Flash exclaimed. "We weren't the ones being kidnapped so their mentor would join the ranks of one of the creepiest villains this planet has ever seen!"

"What makes him so creepy?" M'gann asked, while at the same time Connor asked, "Why is he obsessed so much with Batman?" Robin sighed and walked over to the Mountain's holographic computer systems. "Computer, show profile of crime lord Ra's al Ghul, aka the Demon's Head, and display world map."

All team members gaped at what they saw. A man that stood at about six feet, black hair with white patches at the temples on either side, green cloak over a high-collared black vest, a white dress shirt underneath, black leather braces over each lower arm beneath the elbow, gold sash, black pants and black boots stood before them with a sword in his right hand.

"That is the man we saw," Kaldur stated. "Batman told us that he was a major crime lord, but I get the feeling there was more to him wanting Batman than what we heard. Robin, how much do you know about him?"

"Batman and I have dealt a lot with him in the past." Robin brought up a small information box next to the picture. "He is the head of a huge international criminal organization known as The Demon, which explains why his other name is the Demon's Head. The League of Assassins is a special subgroup of this organization, all trained to be the best at stealing and murdering using stealth and subterfuge. Usually, we dealt with the assassins that were trained under him, or with his daughter, Talia." A picture of the woman appeared next to the one of her father, an information box following soon after. Wally whistled.

"Wow, is she total babe or what!" he whispered to Kaldur, an idiotic grin spreading over his face. Artemis reached around Kaldur's head to punch Wally in the shoulder.

"Ow! What was that for?" he whined.

"Robin is telling us about the crime lord that managed to not just best us but Batman as well, who might I add _never gets beaten that bad_, and all you can think about is how hot his daughter is?!"

"Sorry!" he yelled, rubbing his shoulder. "I have a one-track mind. In case you haven't noticed, I'm a teenage boy with hormones. I can't _not _notice something like that! Sorry 'bout that, Rob," he added quickly. Artemis snorted and nodded at Robin to continue.

"Ra's al Ghul has had his eye on Gotham – and Batman – for a while now," Robin continued, ignoring their antics. "He's wanted Gotham to be the testing grounds for his experiments, which mainly involve blowing it up with people inside, in order to rebuild according to his twisted utopian ideals. Batman he's wanted to be his heir for just as long, if not longer." Connor snorted; Robin glanced at him.

"You got to be kidding," the clone stated flatly. When Robin didn't respond, he pressed on. "Batman is one of the most feared founding members of the Justice League. Even if he didn't strike the fear of God into this Ra's, he would have known that Batman would never switch sides. What's the point in recruiting someone who will never join you?"

"Despite knowing that Batman would never join him, he nevertheless has continued trying to recruit him. He sees Batman as the only man who could ever be his successor and marry his daughter. When Ra's al Ghul trained Batman in most of what he knows, he indirectly trained him to take over the organization when Ra's al Ghul dies," Robin responded flatly. Several team members audibly gasped, except for Wally and Kaldur.

"Guys," Wally said, "this was before Batman first started out. It wasn't like he could've gotten the training he needed to become Batman from just anyone, especially on this side of the planet."

"Also, think of everything he knows compared to the rest of the League," Kaldur urged. "That kind of training has made him more prepared than anyone to see the connections, gave him that edge to know how to deal with the criminal element. In turn, he has helped us to be better crime fighters and detectives because of his training."

"I know," Artemis said. "It's kind of weird, though, thinking about Batman being trained by this crime lord, especially considering how well Ra's has been avoiding death." M'gann looked at her in surprise.

"How can humans avoid death? I thought all humans died eventually," she said. Robin sighed.

"That's what's supposed to happen. Unfortunately, Ra's doesn't play by the rules of nature." He typed something into the keyboard, bringing up a picture of a pit. The ground surrounding it was black and bare of anything growing. An unearthly green glow emanated from within, bubbling disturbed the otherwise smooth surface. "This is a Lazarus Pit. It has supernatural properties, particularly the ability to raise the dead or dying back to life. Unfortunately, the use of these pits amplifies aggression, paranoia, and physical strength while making the user more mentally unstable. Every time Ra's al Ghul uses the pits, he erodes more of his brain cells while extending his lifespan." Connor snorted.

"Smart trade," he muttered. "So how long has he been using them?"

"Approximately seven hundred years, at last calculation*," Robin replied. "And even that is a guess as we don't have records or found knowledgeable, talking members of his League of Assassins."

"So you don't know how long he's been around, exactly," M'gann stated.

"Correct."

"Who cares?" Artemis cleared her throat. "The question is why act now? If he's been trying to get Batman to join him for years now, why only execute his plans now?"

"He's probably planning something big," Robin surmised. "Especially now that he has Batman, his access is virtually unrestricted to any corner of the world. He will most likely squeeze whatever consent he can get out of him as quickly as possible. I have programmed this computer to send any new data on any changes in all the countries. Then maybe we can get a glimpse of what Ra's al Ghul's plan is."

"What about Batman?" M'gann asked. "Can't we, I don't know, go back and try to rescue him?" Robin stood silently, his masked eyes cast upon the ground.

"We should," Kid Flash said. "He needs to get out of there before the League notices he's gone."

"Speaking of which," Kaldur interjected. "Should we not inform the League? They surely have more experience with this crime lord than we do. We could use any help we could get to fix this problem."

"Unfortunately, most of the League hasn't come into contact with this man," Robin replied. "Even fewer know about his activities, and that information has usually come from Batman." He looked to each of his teammates and took a deep breath. "We won't tell the League."

"You know, I'm fine with the whole don't-tell-the-League thing, but can I ask why?" Artemis put her hands on her hips.

"One, they'd go straight into panic mode. Two, they won't see it like we did. They weren't there, but most will discount our stories. Three, remember what happened to Red?" The whole team nodded.

"We had a better shot at finding out what really happened," Robin continued, "we took it, and we got into trouble after we brought Red home. But we were the ones who brought Red home, not the League. It's the same situation here. Batman is counting on us to help him get out of this mess. If he wanted the League to be involved, we wouldn't have been 'invited' along."

"That's true," Kid Flash realized. "Batman knows we don't listen to orders. Who better than us to be there to witness what happened and help him find a way out of it."

"I agree," Kaldur said. "Since this is Robin's mentor who is involved, I will allow him to lead us as we investigate." Robin looked at him in surprise.

"Uh, not that I don't appreciate you giving me the reins," Robin said nervously, scratching the back of his head, "but why not just have me advise the Team?"

"Dude, don't question it!" Wally exclaimed, zooming over to him. "He obviously knows that you are better suited to lead this mission – not that I'm saying you aren't capable, Kaldur," he added quickly. Kaldur smiled and nodded.

"The Team would benefit from someone with more knowledge about the people involved," he said. "I trust your judgment." Robin nodded, a small smile appearing on his face.

"In that case, I'm going to pull up the location of Ra's al Ghul's new hideout we were in," he stated, typing on the holographic keyboard. "Everyone, I want you to tell me what you saw when you were trying to rescue us. He may have upgraded his hideouts since we were last in them. I need to know locations of cameras, the torture rooms, the ventilation shafts, anything and everything. I'll add in what I noticed during my stay there." As he listened to what the Team threw out there and adjusted the image, doubts filled his mind.

_Kaldur may trust my judgment, but if it weren't for my judgment on which road to take, Batman wouldn't be in this mess. What if my judgment is just as faulty now?_

Batman stood at the head of Ra's al Ghul's forces alongside Talia. Whatever feelings he may have had for her in the past (no matter how hard he tried to push them away) were outweighed by the anger he felt at both her and her father for pushing him into this position. He gave a short tug at his new mask. This humiliating new outfit didn't help matters either. At least Robin was safe.

"Are you ready, Beloved?" He glared in her direction as he answered through the earpiece.

"I don't have a choice, now do I? Rest assured I will keep my end of the bargain up." They were attacking the compound of the Dalai Lama in Tibet. Ra's al Ghul had been upset to hear his support behind the upcoming negotiations between the Chinese government and the leader of the refugees currently in Nepal. The Chinese leader had stated he wanted to make reparations for China's actions against Tibet, starting by giving them their country back. The compound was in the format of an isosceles triangle, with a building at each corner. Talia and her men were attacking the northern building, her made man and his group the western one, and he got the eastern building.

Once the signal would come through, they would attack simultaneously, knocking out the guards and monks while his group would be kidnapping the Dalai Lama to bring back to the Demon's Head for a little talk. He had a feeling he knew exactly which one of them would aid in the interrogation.

"Beloved, we are go." Talia's command rang crisp in his ear. He looked to his men and nodded.

"Now!" he barked.

The Dalai Lama turned over on his bed to gaze out the window of his bedroom. His eyes, still hazy from sleep, attempted to focus while his ears listened carefully. He had thought he had heard a noise, not like the ones his monks and guards made. He remained still and silent for a few more moments, and then relaxed back to sleep.

On the verge of succumbing to the darkness of slumber he was rudely jerked up and out of bed by a towering monster: clothing imprinted with a strange pattern, arms gauntleted with spikes, dark grey cloak surrounding him as a mist, and a dark mask with blank slates for eyes and no opening where the mouth would be. This monster lifted him up effortlessly and close to his masked face. He was too paralyzed with fear to do much more than gape.

"You're coming with me."

The man fainted dead away.

*In general, the comics have given a range of 450-700 years for how long Ra's al Ghul has been alive. I tend to go towards the longer end because it fits in my mind for how long a man would be continuously alive while building a worldwide yet mostly hidden crime syndicate and criminal network.


End file.
